King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:
Complete Jewish Bible:
On the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with a covering of fine leather and insert its carrying-poles.
Berean Standard Bible:
Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with fine leather, and insert the poles.
American Standard Version:
And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in the staves thereof:
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And upon the golden{H2091} altar{H4196} they shall spread{H6566} a cloth{H899} of blue{H8504}, and cover{H3680} it with a covering{H4372} of badgers{H8476}' skins{H5785}, and shall put{H7760} to the staves{H905} thereof:
Cross-References (KJV):
Exodus 40:5
- And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.
Exodus 39:38
- And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,
Exodus 37:25
- ¶ And he made the incense altar [of] shittim wood: the length of it [was] a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; [it was] foursquare; and two cubits [was] the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.
Exodus 37:28
- And he made the staves [of] shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
Exodus 40:26
- And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:
Exodus 40:27
- And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exodus 30:1
- ¶ And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: [of] shittim wood shalt thou make it.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Numbers 4:11
1. **Themes:**
- **Purity and Holiness:** The use of a blue cloth signifies the sacredness of the objects within the Tabernacle, as blue is often associated with the divine in Hebrew tradition.
- **Protection and Preservation:** The badger skins serve as a protective layer, safeguarding the golden altar during transport.
- **Careful Handling:** The instructions emphasize the meticulous care the priests must take when handling the sacred items, including the use of staves to avoid direct contact.
2. **Historical Context:**
- **The Tabernacle:** Numbers 4:11 is part of the instructions given by God to Moses and Aaron regarding the transportation of the Tabernacle, which was the portable dwelling place for God among the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings.
- **Levitical Duties:** The verse is situated within a larger section outlining the responsibilities of the Levites, particularly the Kohathites, who were tasked with the care of the most holy items in the Tabernacle.
- **Exodus and Wanderings:** This takes place after the Exodus from Egypt and before the Israelites' entry into the Promised Land, a period when the Tabernacle was central to Israelite worship and religious life.
- **Ritual Precision:** The detailed instructions reflect the importance of ritual precision in ancient Israelite religion, where the proper handling of sacred objects was crucial for maintaining the covenant relationship with God.
In summary, Numbers 4:11 reflects the themes of purity, protection, and careful observance of religious duties within the context of the Israelites' portable worship system during their journey to the Promised Land.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H2091
There are 336 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זָהָב
Transliteration: zâhâb
Pronunciation: zaw-hawb'
Description: from an unused root meaning to shimmer; gold, figuratively, something gold-colored (i.e. yellow), as oil, a clear sky; gold(-en), fair weather. - Strong's Number: H4196
There are 338 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִזְבֵּחַ
Transliteration: mizbêach
Pronunciation: miz-bay'-akh
Description: from זָבַח; an altar; altar. - Strong's Number: H6566
There are 66 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּרַשׂ
Transliteration: pâras
Pronunciation: paw-ras'
Description: a primitive root; to break apart, disperse, etc.; break, chop in pieces, lay open, scatter, spread (abroad, forth, selves, out), stretch (forth, out). - Strong's Number: H899
There are 190 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֶּגֶד
Transliteration: beged
Pronunciation: behg'-ed
Description: from בָּגַד; a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or pillage; apparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag, raiment, robe, [idiom] very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe. - Strong's Number: H8504
There are 49 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תְּכֵלֶת
Transliteration: tᵉkêleth
Pronunciation: tek-ay'-leth
Description: probably for שְׁחֶלֶת; the cerulean mussel, i.e. the color (violet) obtained therefrom or stuff dyed therewith; blue. - Strong's Number: H3680
There are 149 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כָּסָה
Transliteration: kâçâh
Pronunciation: kaw-saw'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to plump, i.e. fill up hollows; by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy); clad self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide, overwhelm. Compare כָּשָׂה. - Strong's Number: H4372
There are 12 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִכְסֶה
Transliteration: mikçeh
Pronunciation: mik-seh'
Description: from כָּסָה; a covering, i.e. weatherboarding; covering. - Strong's Number: H8476
There are 14 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תַּחַשׁ
Transliteration: tachash
Pronunciation: takh'-ash
Description: probably of foreign derivation; a (clean) animal with fur, probably a species of antelope; badger. - Strong's Number: H5785
There are 82 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עוֹר
Transliteration: ʻôwr
Pronunciation: ore
Description: from עוּר; skin (as naked); by implication, hide, leather; hide, leather, skin. - Strong's Number: H7760
There are 550 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׂוּם
Transliteration: sûwm
Pronunciation: soom
Description: or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work. - Strong's Number: H905
There are 50 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בַּד
Transliteration: bad
Pronunciation: bad
Description: from בָּדַד; properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of atree, bar forcarrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart, only, besides; alone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff, strength.